Oeoboes sudbb



Nov. 8, 1932. G, SUDER v 1,886,756

` SWITCH Filed Jan. 5, 1951 www? Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATESPATENT vcrimen GEORGES SUBIR, l' Pm, MGE

SWITCH Application nled January Vl5, 1931, Serial llo. 506,825, and inFrance February 22,

In motor vehicles which are provided with a storage batter it is ofgreat advantage to be able to brea the circuit of the battery when theengine stops, in a reliable manner,

' t so as to avoid all loss of current or risk of fire. Moreparticularly, in vehicles rovided with what is known as the Delcoignition system, it is quite necessar to break the circuit whenstopping, or ot erwise the battery -q will run down, and the inductioncoil may also be damaged while the vehicle is at rest.

The resent invention relates to an automatic evice for breaking thecircuit when the engine stops, and comprises a piston which will rise ina cylinder by the en 'ne suction, thereby closing the circuit, and w enthe engine stops, the piston will fall by its own weight to open thecircuit.

The said apparatus is essentially characterized by the combination of aclosed cylinder which is connected by a conduit with the suction pi e ofthe engine, and whose end consists o a flexible diaphragm (of theaneroid or otherl type) which allows no leakage of gas or vapours; alsoby the use of a second chamber servin as a damping chamber which isinter ose in the conduit which connects the c lin er with the suctionpipe of the engine an whose inlet and outlet orlfices have a relativelysmall cross section adapted to impede the flow of the withdrawn fluid;and further, by the use of a piston movable 1n said cylinder, and ofelectric contact-pieces which are mounted in an elastic manner and whichare placed in contact by a suitable driving member mounted on thepiston.

The accompanyin drawing shows by way of example two em odiments of theinvention. 4a Fig. 1 shows a circuit-breaking device in verticalsection.

Fi 2 is a similar view of a modification Y of said device.

Fig. 3 isla section on alarger scale ofthe a5 suction conduit of theapparatus.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the Suction conduit of the carburetter,showing an additional register by Which the functioning of the apparatusis assured. x

As shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder 1 is con- 50 nected by a conduit 8 withthe suction pipe of the engine, and the conduit including an expansionchamber 11, whose inlet and outlet orifices 12-13 are calibrated. Thechamber 11 might be eliminated, by making the said 55 conduit 8 largeenough to answer the same purpose.

In the cylinder 1 is mounted ali ht piston 4 which preferably comprisesonly t e grooves 14 and without piston rings, this arrange- 50 ment beinsufliclent to afford leakless conditions. aid piston 4 carriesat the topa contact-piece 5,. It is also preferable to maintain the vrelativelyreduced space between the piston and the upper end 2 of the cylinder.

The upper contact-piece 6 is connected to an insulated terminal 15`by aring stri 16.

The lower end of the c 1in er 1 is c osed by a flexible diaphragm l; (ananeroid diaphragm or the like) which will curve inwardly when the piston4 rises, and thus introduc- 'tion of dust into the cylinder isprevented. The said diaphragm, which is more or less fragile, is gauzemem r -18, or by suitable stiienin means, and it is provided with anorifice o determined section.

At the end of the said conduit 8, there is preferably mounted in theengine suction so ipe 10 a nozzle 8a which diverges in the direction offluid flow.

In the modification shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the apparatus comprises twoinsu ated terminals 15-19 to which the ends of the cir- 86 cuit wiresare connected.

The terminal 15 is connected by a spring strip 16 with a contaclpiece 6,whilstthe terminal 19 is connecte y a strip 21 with a contact-piece 20.The pis@ 4 carries a I0 f referably supported by a wire- 'le stop 5 ofinsulating material which is adapted to move the contact-piece 6 againstthe contact-piecev to close the circuit.

The stroke of the piston is limited b y an insulating stop 23 mounted onthe end of the cylinder beyond the contact-piece 20.

The diaphragm 17 consists preferably of leather, and comprisesconcentric corrugations as well as a flanged edge, after the manner ofpressed leather disks. The diaphragm is supported by a piece oi wire 24in the form of a ring. vSaid diaphragm rests at its periphery upon awasher 25, mounted on a shoulder of the main body 1 of the apparatus;the inner edge of said washer is rounded olf or faced with a roundmember at its lower part, in order to forma seating for the diaphragm.

The piston 4 is of hollow form, and on its convex bottom are formed oneor more circular ribs 26 corres ending to the concave portions of thediap ragm, whereby the directions of curvature of said diaphragm will bepreserved even under a strong pressure, thus avoiding damage. Theorifice through which the suction is eli'ected in the main body 1 isnormally closed by a disk 27 which rises when the engine is operatingand cooperates with its seat by gravity. Said disk prevents all improperadmission of air into the aparatus in the case of back-fire in thecaruretter, and delays all such admission when i the vacuum becomes verysmall, for instance after a. sudden increase of engine speed, and thecontact is thus maintained until the next action of the vacuum. In orderthat the said disk 27 may descend when the engine stops it is piercedwith a very small hole 28.

Fig. 4 shows a device adapted for motors which are started by a stronginjection of liquid fuel, and which must therefore start with the gasthrottle fully open. The device comprises an additional register orvalve adapted to close the suction pipe'when the engine is out ofaction, thus producing .in the apparatus a suiiicient vacuum to closethe circuit at the contacts when starting, and the said valve then movesaside under the effect of the suction.

10 is the suction conduit of the engine. and 29 the gas throttle,

above which is a register or disk valve 30 pivoted on a concentric axle3l, said valve being normally held stationary in the horizontal positionby a stop 32 and also from the fact that its portion opposite the saidstop is relatively heavier. Thus when the engine is started. the smallvacuum thus produced will be sufiicient to operate the electric contact,since the valve 30 is now closed, and when the engine runs normally,said valve pivots about into the vertical position and offers noobstruction to normal operation. l

In order to reduce the volume of saidv valve 30, which might obstructthe iiow of gas, an

external lever may be provided which is secured to the axle and servesas a counterweight, so that the valve will close automatically, and thusthe thickness of said valve may be reduced to the minimum.

l claim:

l. A circuit-breaking device including a cylinder having a lower openend, a piston operative in the cylinder comprising a hollow body havingan upstanding central stem, electrical contacts carried by the cylinderand directly operated in one direction by the stem of the piston, and adiaphragm closing the open end of the cylinder below the piston, saiddiaphragm responding to piston movements while maintaining a seal at thelower end of the cylinder.

2. A circuit-breaking device including a cylinder having a lower openend, a piston operative in the cylinder comprising a hollow body havingan upstanding central stem, electrical contacts carried by the cylinderand directly operated in one direction by the stem of the piston, and adiaphragm closing the open end of the cylinder below the piston, saiddiaphragm responding to piston movements while maintaining a seal at thelower end of the cylinder, the lower end of the piston beingI convex andformed with a circular rib and the diaphragm being formed with concaveportions in correspondence with said circular rib.

3. A circuit breaking device including a cylinder, the lower end ofwhich is open, a piston working in the cylinder and constituted by ahollow body in the shape of a shield, with a central rod directedupward, electric contacts mounted upon the cylinder and actuateddirectly in the one direction by the piston rod, and a diaphragm closingthe extreme open end of the cylinder underneath the piston, saiddiaphragm leaning upon a ring placed against a shoulder of the cylinderand accompanying the movements of the piston by maintaining tight thelower end of the cyllnder.

4. A circuit breaking` device including a cylinder, the lower end ofwhich is open, a piston working in the cylinder and constituted by ahollow body in the shape of a shield, with a central rod directedupward, electric contacts mounted upon the cylinder and actuateddirectly in the one direction by the piston rod, a diaphragm closing theextreme open end of the cylinder beneath the piston, said diaphragmaccompanying the movement of the piston by maintaining tight the extremelower end of the cylinder. and theextreme upper end of the cylinderconnectlng with a small opening and a buier chamber joined by secondsmall opening to suction tube.

5. A circuit breakin cylinder, the lower en pistonworking in deviceincluding a. of which is open, a. the cylinder and constitut.

ed by a hollow body in the shape of a. shield, with a central roddirected upward, electric contacts mounted upon the cylinder andactuated directl in the one direction by the piston rod, a. 'aphragmclosing the extreme open end of the cylinder beneath the piston, and theupper extreme end of the cylinder being joined to suction tube by a nip1e in which a disk valve is arranged pierce by a small opening. v

In testimony whereof I aix my si ature.

GEORGES SU ER.

